1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image storing and processing device that can be used as a skip-back camera, a railroad crossing monitor, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As means for obtaining image information of events that may happen at any time or image information before such events happen, there is known conventionally a method of using a video tape recorder. For example, a conventional railroad crossing monitor for monitoring an illegal inrush of vehicles into a railroad crossing uses a continuous recording system with a video tape recorder.
The aforementioned conventional method however suffers from such problems as: (a) an image in which the event is reflected must be retrieved from a tape which results in wasteful time and labor; (b) when the tape comes to an end, it is necessary to replace the tape, and if a user does not take care of it, then necessary image information might be frequently lost; and (c) a rate of the amount of necessary data to a data amount of an entire tape used is low which results in poor efficiency. Particularly, the aforementioned conventional railroad crossing monitor has the following problems: (i) it takes time and labor to retrieve an image from a tape upon an illegal inrush of vehicles; (ii) it is necessary to replace the tape routinely upon completion of recording; and (iii) a rate of effective data to the entire data is low because of continuous recording.